Encouragement Archives - Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel

Kurt Steinbrueck June 22, 2020

The Ultimate Pep Talk

Better Than a Pep Talk

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31

Have you ever felt defeated and ready to give up?

Life can be hard. There are times we feel like it’s all just meaningless. Maybe there was a time when you felt like God was telling you to do something so you step out and try and then it fails. You’re left wondering, “What’s going on?!”

The Pep Talk
I’ve seen a lot of sports movies over the years. In many of these movies, there is a point where the hero team is in the championship game and it isn’t going well. Their down. Time is running out. The team looks downcast and defeated.

Then the coach calls a time-out. What follows is a rousing speech that reinvigorates the team. They go from looking like it would take unbearable effort to just to take another step to being ready to take on anything that comes their way.

Better Than a Pep Talk
We’ve all felt down and out. These are not the times to give up. These are the times to lean into God. He isn’t like an energy drink or self-help mantra. He’s better than the best pep talk from the best coach.

God is eternal. He is the one who sustains us. He is our actual source of energy and life. He is the one who parted the Red Sea. He is the one who shut the mouths of the lions for Danial and kept the fiery furnace from consuming. He has created all things, defeated death, and raises us to new life in Christ!

Our Hope is in the Lord
It is in Christ that we place our hope. This is not an unsure hope like the world offers, but a sure hope. He will sustain you in your darkest hour. He will give you the strength to take that next step. Go to Him when all seems lost. Dig into the Word. Pray. Sing songs. He will be your strength.

Heavenly Father,

You are my life and my hope. When things get tough, lift my eyes to You. You are where my help comes from.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Praise the Lord!

praise the lord!!

Monday, I wrote about starting the day singing (or speaking) of the love and strength of the Lord. Go ahead and do that for a minute.

“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” – 2 Thessalonians 1:3

This is a wonderful passage of praise. Paul is praising God for how God is working in the lives of the Thessalonians. God still works in people’s lives, today.

Praise God for the ways He is working in the lives of your family and friends! Praise Him for His work in our church. God grows our faith and increases our love!

Take a few minutes to praise God for how He is working in these people’s lives.

We must also keep in mind that Paul is writing this in a letter to those same Thessalonians. By doing so, he is not only praising God, but encouraging the Thessalonians.

We can also encourage one another as Paul does the Thessalonians. Sadly, we often see our sin more than the good in our lives. This can make us feel ineffective and even like a disappointment to God and those around us. Sometimes, we need others to show us what God has been doing in our lives so we see it. We need encouragement.

Think of someone you know whom you see growing in faith and love. Write them a note and send it to them to encourage them.